Flickr user kcham95 wanted to get familiar with the Windows 8 tiled look in Windows 7, and considering the news that Microsoft doesn't want you booting right to the desktop in Windows 8 means we may be getting familiar with tiles sooner than we think. So this sharp-looking desktop was born. A few tiles on the desktop to launch common apps, a hidden taskbar, and some widgets with weather, unread message count, and more in them, and you have a desktop that's informative even when nothing's open.

The Omnimo 5.0 skin for Rainmeter for the tiles in the center and the shutdown menu at the bottom of the screen (taskbar is hidden)

The Encoded skin for Rainmeter for the clock and date in the upper corners of the screen

That's all there is to it - not a whole lot in this case, but enough to fully transform the desktop into something new (and possibly better looking than Windows 8, depending on your opinion!) For more details on the specific tiles that kcham95 selected for the desktop, head over to kcham95's Flickr page for details, or to just let them know how much you liked the desktop!

This time around it's tough to tell Mac and Linux users that it's easy to get the same effect. Mac users might be able to get some of the same with GeekTool (and our guide to it to help), but I'd love to hear from Linux users who know a way to get the same effect on their systems. Let me know in the discussions below!

It may be covered with applications and windows most of the time, but your Mac's desktop can…
Read more Read more

Do you have a beautiful, creative, and functional desktop to share with the world? We're running short on Mac and Linux desktops in the pool, so make sure to submit it to the Lifehacker Desktop Show and Tell Flickr Group! Please include a description of how you made it. You never know, it may be the next featured desktop!